6718 



Birds. 



doubtless from the resemblance of its action to that of a raptorial 

 bird. Towards the latter end of April, about 8 o'clock one bright 

 morning, I observed an unusually large number of these birds 

 revolving in column over a deep, thickly-wooded valley where our 

 little Quartiers river disappears down a chasm. My position was on 

 the road which winds round the summit of one of its enclosing hills, 

 the valley immediately below. It was with great interest I observed 

 a pair dart out from the summit of the column, and then one just 

 behind or just above the others fall, screaming with peculiar vehe- 

 mence, together into the valley below, recovering themselves just 

 over the tops of the trees by a curve of astonishing rapidity. Several 

 pairs did this in succession ; but though I watched them attentively 

 I always thought I could see a small space of two or three inches 

 between the birds, except in one case, where the juncture seemed to 

 me complete. I should add, that though I found their actions easy 

 to observe when they left the column, as their course became more 

 and more at right angles with the line of sight, and they plunged 

 into the valley and shot over the tree tops, their flight was so rapid 

 that I could not feel certain what they did. Sometimes several others 

 would join ; but close proximity always seemed to point out the pair 

 whose nuptials the screams and activity of the pursuing birds were 

 intended to celebrate. They then, at a slower pace, rejoined the 

 column, and were lost amid the revolving crowd. But the contrast 

 between the speed and erratic sweeps of the pairs, and the majestic 

 revolutions of the column, was very striking. 



" I shot a specimen the other day ; but as you will probably have 

 anticipated any observations on it I have to make (if you have 

 received skins since your work was published), I will not add them, 

 further than to remark that the stomach I found stuffed v\ith the 

 winged females of a small species of ant. There were a few larger 

 insects, — Coleoptera, bees, &c, — but not many. 



" Of Tachornis phoenicobia I have nothing to add to the informa- 

 tion you collected, except that, so far as my observations go, it is 

 very much rarer on the north than on the south side of the island, 

 where it is one of the commonest birds. Indeed, along the whole of 

 the north coast from here westwards, the only place where I have 

 observed it in any numbers, or constantly, is at a spot near Rose Hall, 

 about mid-way between Falmouth and Montego Bay ; and here, 

 curiously enough, is the only clump of fan palms I have met with on 

 this side, for it is certainly here an uncommon tree. In these moun- 

 tains this little swift is still rarer: I have only observed it once, where 



